AG Todd Rokita issues civil subpoena to Exodus Refugee in latest immigration-related inquiry

A social media post by Indiana Attorney General Tood Rokita that falsely repeated claims the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump was flagged because of “a risk of violence.”

Attorney General Todd Rokita has issued another civil investigative demand to investigate what he has described as “potential labor trafficking” in Indiana, with his office’s latest inquiry directed toward Exodus Refugee Immigration Inc., a nonprofit that maintains offices in Indianapolis and Bloomington.

Rokita announced the latest civil subpoena Monday.

According to Rokita’s office, the demand issued to Exodus Refugee seeks information about alleged possible interference with federal immigration enforcement activities, in which entities in Monroe County may have engaged earlier this year.

Cole Varga, Exodus Refugee’s CEO responded to The Indiana Lawyer with an emailed statement where he acknowledged receipt of Rokita’s demand by the nonprofit group.

Varga said, “Upon review, there is absolutely no justification for this demand, and we have already contacted counsel. In our long and respected history as a nonprofit organization here in the Hoosier state, we stand by our important work serving refugees, asylees, special immigrant visa holders, and other humanitarian immigrants. And, in stark contrast to the Attorney General’s statements, Exodus is in fact one of the few organizations in the state of Indiana that assists victims of human trafficking. To be clear: refugees and immigrants are a part of our Hoosier communities – whether Todd Rokita wants them here or not.”

At least eight organizations, from Logansport to Evansville, have received similar demands from Rokita’s office.

The Haitian Center of Evansville and Berry Global have challenged the attorney general’s CIDs in court, and it’s unclear whether other entities are complying with the state’s requests for information regarding their interactions with immigrants.

In a news release, Rokita alleged that officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed the Attorney General’s office that a recent ICE operation in Monroe County faced numerous challenges as a result of what may have been a coordinated effort by entities in Bloomington to help illegal aliens evade apprehension.

“Hoosier communities are grappling with the consequences of the reckless open-border policies of the previous administration,” Rokita said in the release. “The mass movement of illegal aliens and others into Indiana has exposed our communities to significant public safety risks, including increased concerns about labor trafficking, as many of them are brought to the state to provide low-cost labor. Worse, some organizations in Indiana—whether they are local officials like the Monroe County sheriff who operate sanctuary policies or private organizations that appear to encourage or assist illegal immigration—are making the problem worse.”

Rokita’s office said the attorney general is conducting the investigation under its authority pursuant to Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, the nonprofit statute and the indecent nuisance statute.

“An investigative demand is not an accusation of wrongdoing,” Rokita said. “Our focus is on uncovering facts and rooting out potential wrongdoing. We believe all Hoosiers have a shared interest in stopping human trafficking, and we hope and expect that all organizations will cooperate fully with our investigation. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect Hoosiers and address the harm inflicted by the Biden administration’s open-border policies.”